Aqua Natural Diamond Black Aquarium Gravel, 10lb

Aqua Natural Diamond Black is a natural quartz aquarium gravel with a 1-2mm particle size, sold in 10LB bags. Light reflects off the facets of the quartz, so it sparkles underwater. Aqua Natural also offers Gold Pearl Gravel, a rounder 2-4mm pebble in gold with mixed accent stones.

Why quartz

Quartz is inert: it does not change pH or hardness. That makes Diamond Black safe for almost any freshwater setup, from soft water tetras to hard water livebearers.

Grain size and plants

At 1-2mm the grains are small enough to anchor stem plants and carpeting plants well, and they pack firmly. The large surface area also supports beneficial bacteria. Because quartz holds no nutrients, add root tabs for heavy root feeders.

Visual effect

A black substrate makes fish colors look deeper and helps green plants pop. It is a popular pick for planted tanks and for fish that color up better over a dark bottom.

Gold Pearl alternative

Gold Pearl is a different look: naturally smooth, round or oval pebbles from New Zealand Southland’s East coast beaches, triple washed, 2-4mm, with black, grey, brown, green and white stones mixed in for a beach feel.

Amount

A 10LB bag gives a thin layer in a small tank. For about 2 inches in a 20 gallon, plan on several bags.

Setup tips

• Rinse before use to remove any dust.
• Slope it higher at the back for depth.
• Combine with a nutrient soil underneath, such as ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia, if you want a capped planted bed.

Cleaning

Dark gravel hides debris, so do not skip vacuuming. A siphon pass over open areas at every water change keeps waste from building up.

Because the grains are small and uniform, the gravel also suits nano tanks where larger pebbles would look out of scale. Smooth the surface flat or sculpt gentle hills with a long tool before filling.